UKHospitality welcomes Keep Britain Working review

UKHospitality has expressed support for the Keep Britain Working review, led by Sir Charlie Mayfield, which sets out a new employer-first approach to workplace health and tackling rising economic inactivity linked to ill-health.

The review aims to help businesses create healthier and more resilient workplaces while supporting people to stay in or return to employment.

UKHospitality has been named a sector vanguard in the initiative, meaning it will act as a coordinating body for hospitality businesses, contribute to policy development, and share best practice across the sector.

Hospitality businesses joining the vanguard will be able to help shape workplace health reform, access benchmarking and insights, and promote the industry’s role in supporting a healthy workforce.

Kate Nicholls, chair of UKHospitality, said: “People are at the heart of hospitality and are integral to delivering the brilliant experiences that our sector is known for.

“The priorities laid out in the Keep Britain Working review to go even further to support our teams and develop healthier and more resilient workplaces are the right ones, and I’m pleased that UKHospitality will act as a sector vanguard to co-ordinate activity, share best practice and drive change.”

She added: “This business-first approach is critical in order to utilise hospitality’s unique qualities as an entry point for those coming back into work or starting work for the first time. The initiative should be accompanied by measures in the forthcoming Budget to reduce the sector’s tax burden, including lower business rates, changes to national insurance contributions, and a cut in VAT.

“Businesses are being taxed out and there needs to be action at the Budget to lower business rates, fix NICs and cut VAT to reduce those costs, which will support high street businesses and the Government’s objective to help people back into work.”